Driving Options for the Middle Fork of the Salmon

You may choose the Drive Option if you are local, regionally local or you prefer to take some time to see our beautiful state before and after your river trip.

**YOU are responsible for making your own vehicle shuttle arrangements

Driving logistics without a boat:

June-July trips:

• Meet our shuttle bus in Stanley at the Mountain Village Resort at 7 am on the morning of your trip launch.
• Pre-arrange a shuttle for your vehicle (River Shuttles or [email protected])
• Park your vehicle in the designated parking lot and leave your keys in the key drop (in your filled out envelope).
• Your vehicle drop off location will be the Salmon airport.
• On the last day of your trip, our shuttle bus will drop you at your vehicle, at the Salmon airport around 3:30 pm.

August-September trips (mandatory flight into the river)

• Take a one-way scenic backcountry flight into the river at 8:30 am on the morning of your trip launch from the Salmon airport.
• Leave your vehicle parked (for free) at the Salmon airport.
• On the last day of your trip, ride our shuttle bus out to your parked vehicle, arriving around 3:30 pm.

Driving logistics with a boat:

***You are responsible for getting your boat to and from the river.

June-July trips:

• Drive into Boundary Creek boat launch the night before your trip launch.
  1. Leave your boat with our guides and return to Stanley for the evening. Arrange to have your vehicle shuttled from Stanley to the Confluence.
  2. Camp for the night at the USFS Boundary Creek campground. Arrange to have your vehicle shuttled from Boundary Creek to the Confluence.
• Drive into Boundary Creek the morning of your trip launch (you can follow the shuttle bus, or find your own way).
• Pre-arrange to have your vehicle shuttled from either Boundary Creek or Stanley (see above choices) to the Confluence.  River Shuttles or [email protected]
• Your vehicle will be waiting for you at the Confluence.

August-September trips (mandatory flight into the river):

• Begin your trip in Salmon Idaho. Take a 1-way scenic backcountry flight into the river from the Salmon airport at 8:30 am on the morning of your trip launch.
• Call our office to discuss how to get your boat to the put-in. Kayaks and small Canoes- $100 apiece to fly into the river. Rafts- flight price varies. If the trip is deadheading, we may be able to send your boat ahead of time with the guides (two days prior to the trip).
• Pre-arrange for your vehicle to be shuttled from the Salmon airport to the Confluence.  River Shuttles or [email protected]
• Your vehicle will be waiting for you at the Confluence on the last day of your trip.

***Note- If you are renting a car that will need to be shuttled, you will need a Third Party Driver agreement. The Hertz-Boise Airport location offers this.

IMPORTANT: Depending on snowpack levels, extremely high or low water levels can cause the Middle Fork put-in to change from Boundary Creek to Indian Creek, which is at river-mile 25. High water can typically happen during early to mid-June, and low water typically occurs at any point in July or August. The Indian Creek launch site is accessible only by air. We can arrange to fly you in from Stanley for an additional cost. If you are bringing your own boat, you will need to call us to discuss options for getting your boat to Indian Creek. There is an additional charge of $100/kayak to fly any kayak (whether bringing your own or using one of ours) into Indian Creek; we are unable to fly in large canoes.  We will notify you as far in advance as possible if it looks like an Indian Creek launch will be necessary for your trip, as we realize this will necessitate a change to your travel plans. If you expect to be away from a phone before your trip you will need to stay in touch with us, as this change of put-in decision may be made just days before the launch. Trip dates that can be affected by this: June 1-6, June 10-15, June 19-24, July 29-August 3.

Please call or email us to talk about your plans or to ask questions. We are happy to help!

Car Shuttles

(For those renting a car in Boise that will need to be shuttled, Hertz-Boise Airport Location is currently the only agency with a Third Party Driver agreement)

River Shuttles
web: rivershuttles.com
phone: 208-756-4188

Blackadar Boating
web: blackadarboating.com
phone: 208-756-3958

Caldwell Transportation
web:   ctcbus.com
phone: 800-727-9925

Sawtooth Transportation
web: sawtoothtrans.com
phone: 208-869-2536

All Rivers Shuttle

web: AllRiversShuttle.com

phone: 800-785-7198

Other:

Inidaho.com
For pre/post-river trip vacation planning
web: InIdaho.com
phone: 800-844-3246

Travel Insurance:

We highly recommend that you purchase Travelers Insurance, as we have a NO-REFUND Policy. There are many Travel Insurance companies out there. We recommend Travel Guard